Genre Mash: RTW x Realistic

Looking for a grounded, contemporary story to read for Read the World? This list has you covered.

Updated April 14, 2026
D
Dana Hall School Librarians
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
The kaya girl
Wolo, Mamle
Paper Book
An extraordinary tale of two teenagers from vastly different walks of life, this page-turner transports readers to a bustling market in Ghana's capital city where one friendship transforms two lives.  Writing with effortlessly engaging prose, Wolo showcases the...

RTW Africa (Ghana)

The girl with the louding voice
Dare?, Abi
Other
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A READ WITH JENNA TODAY SHOW BOOK CLUB PICK!  "Brave, fresh . . . unforgettable."--The New York Times Book Review "A celebration of girls who dare to...

RTW Africa (Nigeria)

We need new names
Bulawayo, NoViolet
Paper Book
A remarkable literary debut shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize: the unflinching and powerful story of a young girl's journey out of Zimbabwe and to America. Darling is only ten years old, and yet she must navigate a fragile and violent world. In Zimbabwe, Darling and her...

RTW Africa (Zimbabwe)

Up to this pointe
Longo, Jennifer
Paper Book
A refreshingly original contemporary YA, unlike anything readers have seen before. Perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson, John Corey Whaley, and Libba Bray. She had a plan. It went south. Harper is a dancer. She and her best friend, Kate, have one goal- becoming...

RTW Antarctica

One half from the east
Hashimi, Nadia
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia, Thanhha Lai, and Rebecca Stead, internationally bestselling author Nadia Hashimi's first novel for young readers is a coming-of-age journey set in modern-day Afghanistan that explores life as a bacha posh--a preteen girl dressed as a boy. Obayda's...

RTW Asia (Afghanistan)

The bridge home
Venkatraman, Padma
Paper Book
"Readers will be captivated by this beautifully written novel about young people who must use their instincts and grit to survive. Padma shares with us an unflinching peek into the reality millions of homeless children live every day but also infuses her story with hope and bravery that will...

RTW Asia (India)

Selection day : a novel
Adiga, Aravind
Paper Book
AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR A NEW YORK TIMES and WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK From Aravind Adiga, the bestselling, Booker Prize­-winning author of The White Tiger, a dazzling new novel about two brothers in a Mumbai slum who are raised by their...

RTW Asia (India)

The space between us
Umrigar, Thrity N.
Paper Book
Thrity Umrigar, who "displays an impressive talent for conceiving multidimensional, sympathetic characters with life-like emotional quandaries and psychological stumbling blocks," (Washington Post Book World) brings her talent to the social struggles of modern day Bombay in THE SPACE BETWEEN US.<...

RTW Asia (India)

Thirst
Bajaj, Varsha
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller The riveting story of a heroic girl who fights for her belief that water should be for everyone. Minni lives in the poorest part of Mumbai, where access to water is limited to a few hours a day and the communal taps have long lines....

RTW Asia (India)

My brother's husband
Tagame, Gengoroh
Paper Book
"When a cuddly Canadian comes to call, Yaichi-a single Japanese dad-is forced to confront his painful past. With his young daughter Kana leading the way, he gradually rethinks his assumptions about what makes a family. Renowned manga artist Gengoroh Tagame turns his stunning draftsmanship to a...

RTW Asia (Japan)

Sweet bean paste
Sukegawa, Durian
Ebook
'I'm in story heaven with this book.' Cecelia Ahern, author of P.S. I Love You A charming tale of friendship, love and loneliness in contemporary Japan If you enjoyed We'll Prescribe You a Cat or Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, you'll...

RTW Asia (Japan)

Unmarriageable
Kamal, Soniah
Ebook
"This inventive retelling of Pride and Prejudice charms."--People "A fun, page-turning romp and a thought-provoking look at the class-obsessed strata of Pakistani society."--NPR Alys Binat has sworn never to marry--until an encounter with one Mr....

RTW Asia (Pakistan)

A girl like that
Bhathena, Tanaz
Paper Book
A Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Book of 2018 A Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Book of 2018 An Ontario Library Association White Pine Award Shortlist Pick A Globe and Mail Top 100 Book A Quill...

RTW Asia (Saudi Arabia)

If I had your face
Cha, Frances
Paper Book
A riveting, feminist debut about four women navigating contemporary South Korea, a world of strict social hierarchies, extreme plastic surgery and K-pop fan mania. "Even as a girl, I knew the only chance I had was to change my face. When I looked into the mirror, I knew...

RTW Asia (South Korea)

Please look after mom
Sin, Kyæong-suk.
Audiobook
A million-plus-copy best seller in Korea--a magnificent English-language debut poised to become an international sensation--this is the stunning, deeply moving story of a family's search for their mother, who goes missing one afternoon amid the crowds of the Seoul Station subway. Told...

RTW Asia (South Korea)

The elegance of the hedgehog
Barbery, Muriel
Paper Book
"""An exquisite book in the form of a philosophical fable that has enchanted hundreds of thousands of readers.""-Elle (Italy)"

RTW Europe (France)

Layers : a memoir
Bagieu, Pe?ne?lope; Kane, Montana
Paper Book
Following the Eisner-award winning Brazen, Pénélope Bagieu pens her first autobiographical work in this hilarious and bitter sweet graphic memoir. Pénélope Bagieu never thought she'd publish a graphic memoir. But when she dusted off her old diaries (no, really--this...

RTW Europe (France)

The love report
B eka.
Ebook
BFFs Grace and Lola try to unravel the mystery of romance with a plan to observe, study, and analyze the ways of love at their middle school in the first book in this addictive graphic novel series. BFFs Grace and Lola talk about everything related to romance--and have lots of...

RTW Europe (France)

Conversations with friends
Rooney, Sally
Paper Book
NOW A HULU ORIGINAL SERIES * From the New York Times bestselling author of Normal People . . . "[A] cult-hit . . . [a] sharply realistic comedy of adultery and friendship."--Entertainment Weekly SALLY ROONEY NAMED TO THE TIME 100 NEXT LIST * WINNER OF THE...

RTW Europe (Ireland)

Pardalita
Paper Book
MILDRED L. BATCHELDER HONOR WINNER School Library Journal Best of the Year BCCB Best of the Year (Blue Ribbon Selection) A beautiful slice-of-life story that is This One Summer meets Ursula K. Le Guin's Very Far...

RTW Europe (Portugal)

Beartown
Backman, Fredrik
Paper Book
Winning a junior ice hockey championship might not mean a lot to the average person, but it means everything to the residents of Beartown, a community slowly being eaten alive by unemployment and the surrounding wilderness. A victory like this would draw national attention to the ailing town: it...

RTW Europe (Sweden)

Fire from the sky
A?stot, Moa Backe
Paper Book
MICHAEL L. PRINTZ HONOR WINNER KIRKUS BEST OF THE YEAR From 23-year-old Sámi debut novelist and reindeer owner Moa Backe Åstot, Fire From the Sky is a queer coming-of-age story about heritage, family ties and age-old commitments to the past....

RTW Europe (Sweden)

My Friends : A Novel
Paper Book

RTW Europe (Sweden)

Stolen
Laestadius, Ann-Hel en
Paper Book
NOW A NETFLIX FILM "An extraordinary novel. A coming-of-age-story you will get lost in." --Fredrik Backman, internationally bestselling author of The Winners Part coming-of-age novel, part sweeping family saga, and part love song to a disappearing...

RTW Europe (Sweden)

Gingerbread
Oyeyemi, Helen
Paper Book
"Exhilarating. . . . A wildly imagined, head-spinning, deeply intelligent novel." --The New York Times Book Review "Wildly inventive. . . . [Helen Oyeyemi's] prose is not without its playful bite." --Vogue The prize-winning, bestselling author...

RTW Europe (U.K.)

Slam
Hornby, Nick
Paper Book
The #1 New York Times bestseller from the beloved, award-winning author of Dickens and Prince, High Fidelity, and About A Boy. For 16-year-old Sam, life is about to get extremely complicated. He and his girlfriend--make that ex-girlfriend-- Alicia have gotten...

RTW Europe (U.K.)

Swing time
Smith, Zadie
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller  Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction Finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize for Fiction 2017 Man Booker Prize Longlist An ambitious, exuberant new novel moving from northwest London to...

RTW Europe (U.K.)

Facing the sun
Mather, Janice Lynn.
Paper Book
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets The Education of Margot Sanchez in this Caribbean-set "heartwarming and sincere" (Kirkus Reviews) story about four friends who experience unexpected changes in their lives during the summer when a hotel developer purchases...

RTW North America (Bahamas)

Girl mans up
Girard, M-E
Paper Book
All Pen wants is to be the kind of girl she's always been. So why does everyone have a problem with it? They think the way she looks and acts means she's trying to be a boy-that she should quit trying to be something she's not. If she dresses like a girl, and does what her folks want, it will show...

RTW North America (Canada)

Tegan and Sara : junior high
Quin, Tegan
Paper Book
From indie-pop twin-sister duo Tegan and Sara comes their bestselling contemporary middle grade graphic novel about growing up, coming out, and finding yourself through music and sisterhood--perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier's Sisters and Sweet Valley Twins. ...

RTW North America (Canada)

No fixed address
Nielsen-Fernlund, Susin
Paper Book
From beloved Governor General Literary Award--winning author Susin Nielsen comes a touching and funny middle-grade story about family, friendship and growing up when you're one step away from homelessness. Felix Knuttson, twelve, is an endearing kid with an incredible brain for...

RTW North America (Canada)

A possibility of whales
Rivers, Karen
Paper Book
The story of a girl who--thanks to her friends, her famous dad, and a chance encounter with a whale--learns the true meaning of family.   Twelve-year-old Natalia Rose Baleine Gallagher loves possibilities: the possibility that she'll see whales on the beach...

RTW North America (Canada)

On the Jellicoe Road
Marchetta, Melina
Paper Book
Taylor Markham is not a popular choice. She is erratic, has no people skills and never turns up to meetings. Not to mention the incident when she ran off in search of her mother and only got halfway there. But she's lived at Jellicoe School most of her life and as leader of the boarders that's...

RTW Oceania (Australia)

Lucy and Linh
Pung, Alice
Paper Book
From an author Amy Tan calls "a gem," this is a witty, highly acclaimed novel that's "part Mean Girls, part Lord of the Flies" (The Bulletin, Starred review) about navigating life in private school while remaining true to yourself. ...

RTW Oceania (Australia)

Stars in their eyes
Walton, Jessica; As?ka, (Illustrator); Graphix (Firm)
Paper Book
A Stonewall Honor Book In this lighthearted YA romance, Maisie and Ollie discover that nothing beats the feeling of falling in love for the first time. Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She's looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her...

RTW Oceania (Australia)

Ten things I hate about me
Abdel-Fattah, Randa
Paper Book
Jamie just wants to fit in. She doesn't want to be seen as a stereotypical Muslim girl named Jamilah, so she does everything possible to hide that part of herself, even if it means keeping her friends at a distance. But when the cutest boy in school asks her out and her friends start to wonder about...

RTW Oceania (Australia)

The year of secret assignments
Moriarty, Jaclyn
Paper Book
The Ashbury-Brookfield pen pal program was designed to bring together the "lowlife Brooker kids" (as they''re known to the Ashburyites) and the "rich Ashbury snobs" (as they''re called by the Brookfielders) in a spirit of harmony and the Joy of the Envelope. But things don''t go quite as planned....

RTW Oceania (Australia)

Furia
Mendez, Yamile Saied.
Ebook
A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB YA PICK Recipient of the 2021 Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Medal One of BuzzFeed's Must-Read YA Books of 2020 A Best Book of the Year: Cosmopolitan * Kirkus Reviews * SheReads *...

RTW South America (Argentina)

This is our place
Martins, Vitor
Paper Book
Three teens -- in three different decades -- navigate life, love, and family in Vitor Martinss heartfelt new novel that spans generations. Perfect for fans of Tales from the City and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. If the walls of Number 8 Sunflower Street could...

RTW South America (Brazil)


Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.